It has rarely been louder at the Pepsi Center than when Mason Plumlee is hitting 3-pointers. After all, there’s always a fervor when a solar eclipse rolls around.

While the first two threes of Plumlee’s career were good for the Nuggets’ social media presence, it’s the more gritty, less-heralded work the newly minted 29-year-old (his birthday was last Tuesday) has done for Denver this season that has been a major reason the team’s second unit, recent struggles aside, has helped lift the Nuggets to a second-place standing in the Western Conference with 17 games to go.

Now in his second full season with the Nuggets after joining Denver in a midseason trade back in 2017, Plumlee has transformed into a vocal leader for a young team. He’s the reserve unit’s defensive anchor and most vocal presence, and he’s been reliable as a fill-in starter in the wake of injuries to Paul Millsap, both this year and last, in large part...